Amphibian toy duck



T. C. MARTIN AMPHIBIAN TOY DUCK Dec. 16, 1952 Filed July '7, 1949 .Nrw-Ihn INVENToR. Tomqg BY k/Q/ 9M A.; ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 16, 1952 UNITED STATES PATl-:Nr OFFICE f.

f Thomas C. Martin, Cohasset, Mass.

Application July 7, 1949, serialNo; 163,440.

particularto an improvement in the toy shown in my'copending application, Serial No. 750,259, filed May 24, 1947, and more particularly to certain constructional features relating to the article when produced as a plastic molded device in which the main structureV of the article is molded in two parts and'joinedtogether on'an axial seam symmetrical Witha central longitudinal plane through the Adevice itself.

' Thearticle of the present invention is a caricature of a duck in which the lower beak and eyes are balanced on a pivoting arm in' the head section of the gure andproduces when rocking forward and backwards on the base, an animation of the beak and the eyes.V which is particularly attractive. 1 vi The improvements in the present invention Vwill be more readily appreciated and understood .from a consideration of the specifications set forthbelow, describing an embodiment of the same when taken in connection with the drawings thereto, in which: Y

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the toy with parts shownk in fragmentary section.

.Figure 2 shows a. sectional view taken substantially on the liney 2 2 of Figure 1. y

.joint .4 providing a smooth joining surface all around the periphery'of the article.

The device which is a caricature of a duck is provided with roundedbottom surface 5, as viewed from the side (Figure l) and a flat transverse line of contour 6, as indicated in Figure 3. The lower surface has therefore a contour similar to the shape of the rockers in a rocking chair and is arched in a smooth curve so that the toy -will oscillate when placed Von a -wet surface and it will `also oscillate when immersed in water. The joint at 3 around the contact of the base 'I is made water-tight by suitable cement, since each half of the toy is a shell with a hollow space with- 'in.` The shell may be of suitable thickness, as

forinstance 11G or more in thickness and the whole thing may be molded of suitable plastic material, such as cellulose acetate or some other equivalent thermoplastic molding material. At the center of the base there projects at the inner side of each base wall a set of upright flanges 9 and Illas well as a pin`I`I Asubstantially 'midwafy between the two'flanges' 9 Vand I0. These` two flanges andpins all on both sides of eachlhalf of the duck, are designed to 'hold in` place. `a metal weight I2, which maybe of lead, "'irn or other suitable heavymetal'.' The weight" I2`i`n assembly is rst put in "place 'in one half! ofthe duck, and then when the'two halves are put'together in cementing, the weight fits placeon the other half of the duck.` Atl the top of the base element 'l is a shortV strip of heavierisection which joins the head section Iwithmthebas'e Justbehind this heavier couplingsection is 'a slit I5 which communicatesonly with the head element. This head element I4 is not completely water-tight because' ofthe slit opening'IS and also the forward opening or slot` I 6 through which the lower beak element" I1 projects. Both lower beak element I1 and upper beak element. I8 .are molded in two halvesalong a Ycentral 'plane coinciding substantially. with the. central plane in which the twohalvesof the duck are joinedtogether. The beak I8 is ,so formed thatfit Ahas a sharp or V-shaped top edge I9 while the beak. I1 has a sharp or V edgeZIl. On one .of the molded halves of the beak I8 is an inwardly extending rectangular boss 2| which fits in a recess 22 of a shoulder ange'23 just behind theouter shellwall 24 behind the end of the upper beak I8 which nts into a triangular cavity 50, formed on the junction of the two halves ofthe head piece (Figure 4). 'I'he pin 25 projecting from the inner side of the wall of the headpiece 4on one half as shown in Figures 1 and 4, is aligned in the middle of the recess 22 so that the upper. beakl member shoulder 23 and the square shapedprojectionv 2| projecting through the slot or recess 22 with `the pin 25 projecting into ahole at thefcenter of the projecting section 2|. i' y v A similar flange corresponding'tol the shoulder 23 is made in the other half. ofthe head" piece and this lays'up against theedge .of the shoulder 23 and against the at end 2B of the beak. 'Ifhis construction also provides a recess in the outer wall of the head piece in the region of the shoulder flange to accommodate the end of `the beak which has a flat surface at the end and is arched at lthe lower surface of the beak with the two side edges coming to a vertex thus forming a sector approximately of a circle. This flat end section of the beak rests against the exposed forward surface of the shoulders 23 so that the upper beak in this fashion is held very strongly in the head and cannot be readily knocked or broken off. It

is preferable to use cement to cement the beak in place which thereby effects a very rigid structure. Just below the point where the upper beak I8 is attached to the head section, is the rectangular opening I6 through which the lower beak I1 projects. One half of the lower beak I1 is formed as a part of the lever 21 by a connecting ange 28. The lever 21 is however symmetrically aligned with the center joining line of the two halves of the beak Yby extendingthamaterial of theflever over the-same distance ontheend of the half of the beak which is not directly joined to the lever. The lever is provided witl'ra pin 29 which may be of metal, which. pin projects through a hole in a slightly enlarged section of the lever. The lever 21 extendsV rearwardly into the head and at its end is terminated in a plate section 30 with two outwardlyprojecting pins 3| and 32. These pins are long enough to extend substantially to the walls 33 and 34 of the head section of the duck. Thisarrangementprevents a .sidewiseoscillationof. the beak Vin its motion and also" furnishes additional.V strength and steadiness in the constructiorriof .the beak. The pin. 29 which is the pivotingpinsetsin ,bear- 'ingelementsa and.36 whichare portions of the molded plastic projecting. fromjthe sidesof'the walls 33 and 34respectively.

The eye structure is also supported i;yjthev lever "21. F'or this purpose the lever121. hasa. wider rectangular section 31form ed vas a, part .of the `'lever which section `projeetsJsidewise .towards the side walls 33.,and'` 34 and comes Vsufliciently .close so that the two discs 38. and 3S may be attachedto the side edges of the.base.31by.suit ablemeans; the means preferablelinl the present icase being simply by snapping'. the discsover pins 40 anddl projectingfrom. the Sideedges. of. the

plate'31 andengaging in snap tting holes ini the discs 38 and 39. Similarly theconvexeye members 42 and 43 maybe snappedintol the centers 'of thediscby means of projectingpins 44 engaging in snap ttingholes at the centerfof the :discs 1.38 .and' 39. "L'Ihe eyes may besuitablyoloredas .desired 'Thej. head` section 'ld on each sideiisprovidedY witha window opening. 45%. overwhich aclear ,window may be inserted so thatitheeyediscs will be .visible fromjtheoutside. At'the top ofthe head piecelld, a recess 46 is ..provide'd into..which a cap 41, vsuch as a sailor cap, may be;.inser.ted and cemented Ain place.

board or in water, the lower beak I1 has sufcient motion amplitude so that it will strike the breast of the duck and produce a noise comparable to the quacking of a duck.

Havingr now described my invention, I claim:

1. An amphibian toy of the type described simulating the caricature of a duck, comprising a thin walled shell formed with a rocking-chair like base and a head, said base and head being pmolded as `integral halvesyjoined substantially symmetrical therewith, means joining said base to effect a complete water tight seal around the Whole joined area to render the toy buoyant, an

. upper. and lower beak element attached to said head and projecting from the forward end therez,of,.saidsbase..having positioned at its lowest region .a flat counter weight extending transversely The' construction which l 'has' .been described provides a rigid toy'construction .which willwithstand a great ,amountof rough use' by. children.

The toy itself iswell balancedbothlforfuse en a hard surface,andiforjimmersionrin water. ...In .use in watenthe weight" I2y which is.. placedat .thelowest point of the base extendingbroadly across the width, provides a center. of gravity which is sufficiently lower..than" the center of buoyancy, so thata substantial righting stability is obtained. In this construction the weight. is

madeV ',flat, and' hugs 'as nearly as possible'. the base, so that asmallweightis .su'iiicientfor'the purpose.

across'theV base on the inner side and slightly rearward of a center line of the duck offsetting the forward projection of said beaks, whereby the vthy-.will` perform a rocking. action/on `a vsolid -surface and on .water a; pair off langesj projecting vi-romthe base at thesides and apinaelement between said'flangesand positioned above the same also projecting from the sides retaining` said weight in .-place.

2. An amphibian a toy -off the type described simulating the carica-ture'of aduckycomprisinga thin Walledv shell formed with f af'arocking-chair like base anda head.saidgbaserandrheadbeing moldedl as.` integral :halves` joined: substantially symmetrical therewith; means 4'joining :said :base

.to eiectK a complete; water. tightgseali.aroundnthe y whole joined area to render .the toy.:buoyant a -weight in a` stationary; position. .wherebyjthe vltoy will performI a rocking action ron. .as soldrsurface and on water.

3. .A toy .asset vforthxiniciaim'z2'; havingsfmeans for pivoting` the Ylowerrfmember.;of: saidrfbeakxbetween: the molded"r integral :halvesizoi: said ahead, said lower beak-shavingaxsuicientrvswingwhen the-toy is performingits '.rockingiactiong: whereby it will periodicallyfstrike: thetbaseiportion .nfs said bodysand: produce, assound.

Anaamphibianptoy.; asifsetrforthnin claim .2 having a complete sealfaboutfthe-.Lhalves lofiithe :headexceptiforxmdrain slot in saicbhead at. its

klowest pointiatj therrear thereof.fwhereby--.any

:.Waterfwhichfmaycenter theheadautomatical'- ly drain 01T ,when thel toy. is .finzfanrerectj position.

il THOMAS C.' MARTIN.

-f REFERENCES, GITE-D 'The following Vrteeirences arel ofrecord'infthe file vof this patent; I

l. UNITED. ,STATES PATENTS 'Number "Name Date l;325,986 f Garami Dec;.23; 19:19 1,447,953 .'.Herschmann Mar. 6; 1923 i 1,5723'151 .Nakamura :"Feb. 9, .1926 1,617,835 :Cohn ''Eeb;f15,`1927 v2,37 6,614 :Nudelman .:May-22-, 11945 A2,459,555 .f'I-ossas V 'Jan.l 18; 1949 `WSO1T Jan;.17,"1950 

